An Unforgettable Evening

Many years later, when facing the Crimson King, Ji Ning would recall that long night when he first met Qin Mo during his inaugural final exam at Lu Academy. Back then, Ji Ning was still so young, unaware that each person carries their own responsibilities and destinies in this life. He longed for a fairytale-like tranquility in his days, but every boy inevitably encounters an unexpected moment—just an instant is enough—when he learns how to become a true man, understands love and being loved, and discovers how to protect all that he holds dear. The crossroads leading to the most important moment of his life opened to him that very night.

At midnight, the city streets lay silent. Aside from the occasional distant hum of an engine, only the traffic lights kept watch over the resting metropolis, cycling their colors methodically, indifferent to the deserted crossroads where just two figures stood, one ahead and one behind.

Ji Ning glanced back at the young girl following him, her head bowed, eyes fixed stubbornly on his heels. Then he looked up at the streetlamp above, the yellow glow casting a sense of unreality over everything. Still, he kept telling himself that all of this was indeed real, just as it had been all those years ago when he watched the circus under lights like these. He had no money for a ticket, so he stood far outside the venue, listening to the loud whistles and bursts of applause from within, imagining the lions and tigers behind the giant iron cages. He never did see those beasts before the circus left town, but he believed that, on some night of his life, he had stood separated from them by no more than a thin wall.

Sometimes, he thought the world resembled a vast circus—thrilling and terrifying at once—because after the show, all that remains is a little warmth and a great deal of heartache.

He looked back again, certain that this stubborn and lonely girl followed him for the sake of the words she’d spoken.

"Only you can see me." That had been the last thing she said to him half an hour earlier. Since then, neither of them had spoken a word; ever since Ji Ning had led her out of the mall, an odd silence had lingered between them.

According to his plan, Ji Ning was supposed to deliver this mysterious girl to the police station, introduce himself as Lei Feng, and then return to the hotel for a comfortable bath and sleep, leaving tomorrow to worry about the final exam. As he thought this, he glanced down at his watch, but that glance made him freeze in place.

"Within one meter." The words flashed brightly on the LCD screen. Ji Ning spun around to stare at the silent girl. Sensing his gaze, Qin Mo lifted her head and met his complex, unreadable eyes.

Only when the pedestrian light across the street turned green did Ji Ning stride forward. He understood why his watch had stopped beeping when he entered the mall: his target had been right on the girl’s left middle finger. He hadn't been mistaken—the ring she wore was precisely his exam answer card. The watch had fallen silent because, for the students’ safety, once within a certain range, the signal detector produced by Lu Academy would only display a text prompt, so as not to distract students with continuous beeping.

As they crossed the zebra crossing, Ji Ning quickly devised a new plan.

Ten minutes later, standing at the hotel lobby entrance, Ji Ning realized he’d never expected to do something so ambiguous with a stranger. He couldn’t exactly leave her under a bridge for the night, could he?

"Two single rooms, please." Leading Qin Mo to his hotel, Ji Ning calmly stated his request to the receptionist.

"Of course. May I see your ID and a deposit, please?" The young woman at the front desk handled the process professionally, without so much as a knowing look.

"They can’t see me," Qin Mo whispered, her voice so forlorn it made one want to comfort her with an embrace.

But the clueless troublemaker beside her was lost in his own imaginings, missing the true meaning behind her words.

"Qin Mo, life is long, and setbacks are normal. Even if no one notices you, you have to shine on your own path. If you feel down tonight, I offer free counseling," Ji Ning recited some motivational platitudes, giving what he hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Why do you want her to come find you after her shower?" SCP-CN-655 suddenly piped up in Ji Ning’s mind.

"What do you know? The most wonderful thing in the world, of course, is a heartbroken girl in pajamas coming to you to talk about life." Ji Ning sneaked a glance at Qin Mo behind him.

Everyone experiences embarrassing moments they wish they could forget—peeing their pants in front of a childhood crush, or accidentally chatting up the wrong person for half the journey. Sometimes, it’s making meaningful eye contact with your target at precisely the wrong time, sure your own wicked thoughts have been laid bare.

Qin Mo said nothing, merely slowed her steps, putting several paces between them.

Ji Ning, of course, noticed this detail, but he said nothing. He just wanted to retreat to his room and give himself a good scolding.

He swore, all he had in mind was a conversation about life—no ulterior motives. Well, maybe a little, but who judges a man by his thoughts alone? Actions are what matter. Surely, he wouldn’t be branded a villain just for thinking?

The elevator was swift, the corridor short—perhaps that’s why the hotel was so expensive: those dressed in Armani and Versace could reach their destinations quickly and indulge in fleeting pleasures.

Qin Mo thanked him and closed her door. Ji Ning, lingering outside, felt oddly empty, wondering where that clingy girl had gone. Ah, women—regardless of age or beauty—are fickle as the turning of a page.

Yawning, Ji Ning prepared to return to his room. As he stepped forward, her door opened again. "Which room are you in?"

He didn’t turn around, thinking a man should play it cool at times. "8-07," he replied.

Ji Ning showered and lay on the soft bed, staring at the ceiling. The clock on the wall ticked soundlessly, its glowing hand moving from 10 to 11. At last, the waiting hunter lost his patience, switched off the light, and tucked himself in, deciding that if the rabbit didn’t come tonight, he’d sleep and figure things out tomorrow.

Just as he was drifting off, the doorbell rang. Ji Ning buried his head angrily in his Dunlopillo latex pillow, but the ringing persisted. When the rabbit’s patience exceeds the hunter’s, the initiative changes hands.

"Coming, coming," Ji Ning muttered, opening the door in his dinosaur pajamas. He resolved to retrieve the ring from the rabbit’s hand tomorrow and then deliver her to the police—no matter how lovely, anyone who disturbs his sleep must be kept at arm’s length.

As the door opened, Qin Mo darted inside like a startled rabbit, shutting it behind her. Ji Ning crossed his arms defensively, eyeing the breathless girl in hotel pajamas. "What do you want?"

"They—they’re here," she gasped, eyes full of fear.

"Who? Your parents?" Ji Ning blinked, then jumped up. "Damn, if your parents are here and you run into my room in pajamas, are you trying to get me in trouble? Get out, quickly—innocent as I am, I refuse to be framed!"

"It’s not that. It’s this ring—something wants to take it. I heard strange noises outside my door, like someone was there. I heard voices talking about taking the ring," Qin Mo explained anxiously.

"Then why did you run out? Wouldn’t a normal person hide in their room and call me? Lying is wrong, you know. Never mind, I’ll go meet your parents and take the scolding—by the way, are you of age?"

Qin Mo hesitated, then nodded. "I am."

"Good. Then just say you came of your own will—they can’t send me to jail." Ji Ning relaxed, taking a deep breath and reaching for the door.

"There really is someone outside. You must know there’s something wrong with this ring," she said, raising her left hand. The ancient signet ring on her delicate finger suited her quiet temperament.

"How do you know I know?" Ji Ning paused, looking back at her with curiosity.

"You looked at my left hand three times on the way here," she replied.

Ji Ning finally accepted that the ring was his exam target. She wasn’t a heartbroken girl or a runaway high schooler—she’d already glimpsed the world’s dark side. No wonder she’d ended up crying in a mall at midnight.

The identity of the things outside the door was clear now—a group of cultists, battered by the Foundation, had come for revenge.

Something occurred to Ji Ning. "So why did you dare come to my room?"

Qin Mo pointed behind him. Ji Ning turned, and his dinosaur pajamas nearly slipped off in fright.

Black shadows seeped slowly from beneath the door, spreading like liquid, swallowing everything nearby. Even the light twisted as it touched the darkness, creating a bizarre, gaping void from a human perspective.

For an instant, Ji Ning wanted to leap from the window. His pajamas were equipped with an automatic rappel line—he could have made a leap of faith even from the top of the Burj Al Arab.

But to be human is to be bound by the world around you.

Ji Ning grasped Qin Mo’s hand—soft, cool, and fragile. He held on tighter, hoping his warmth could reach her. "Come with me."

He dashed to the floor-to-ceiling window, drawing back the curtains and taking deep breaths. The city glittered like a luminous forest at night, cabs flitting through the streets like fireflies, but he had no time to admire the neon beauty—darkness was flooding every corner of the room.

He delivered a solid roundhouse kick to the window, but instead of a satisfying crash, he was met only with pain. The damned hotel was so secure that even guests who’d just gone bankrupt would have to find another building to jump from.

Movies lied—no one escapes so stylishly in real life; those scenes are reserved for heroes. The nameless are left with helplessness.

The shadow crept closer. Ji Ning had no illusions about what would happen if it touched him.

Qin Mo, watching his frantic efforts, felt her icy wariness begin to melt like spring ice. She didn’t know why she wanted to smile; perhaps, after being forgotten by everyone, the mere presence of a companion offered something to rely on.

That sense of trust and security awakened her long-dormant heart, as if, after wandering a frozen plain for miles, she’d found a steaming hot spring. The warmth thawed her soul, wrapping her in long-lost emotion. She was reminded that she was just a nineteen-year-old girl, deserving of love and to be loved, like any other favored by the gods.

With unusual composure, Ji Ning rummaged through his bag and produced an aerosol can, spraying a circle large enough for two onto the window. The can contained quartz-encapsulated perfluorosulfonic acid resin, the strongest solid superacid known to man—millions of times stronger than concentrated sulfuric acid. The tempered glass began to smoke. Ji Ning switched feet, kicked again, and this time the night wind bit through his collar like ice, making him shiver. Still, he forced a smile and opened his arms to Qin Mo. "Hold on tight."

Qin Mo nodded and moved closer, embracing him. Surrounded by her gentle fragrance, Ji Ning understood why the hero saves the beauty trope never grew old. "Ever played Assassin’s Creed?" he asked.

"No," she replied.

"Well, now you can say you have."

Ji Ning straightened his dinosaur pajamas, stole one more glance at the advancing shadows, and, with a mix of resignation and anxiety, leapt forward.

Prepared as she was, Qin Mo couldn’t help but cry out. A slender cord shot from Ji Ning’s waist to the hotel’s glass. In the night, the two figures plummeted between towering buildings, then bounced upward as if bungee jumping. At about two meters above the ground, Ji Ning managed to halt their fall, set the girl down, and unhooked his harness.

Back on solid ground, Ji Ning shivered violently, wishing he’d worn thermal underwear. Qin Mo, whether from fear or cold, hugged herself and stamped her feet.

"Run, quick! Find another hotel before we freeze," Ji Ning urged, blowing on his hands and jogging off.

Qin Mo followed, relieved the midnight streets were mostly empty; otherwise, someone would have seen two figures—a boy in dinosaur pajamas and a girl in stripes—chasing the moon through the autumn city.

The frigid air burned their lungs. Qin Mo had to stop, coughing violently. She bowed her head, stifling her coughs, trying to stand. She’d been alone too long; she didn’t want to be left behind again. Before she could get up, a not-so-broad back appeared before her.

"Climb on," Ji Ning said, teeth chattering.

Qin Mo didn’t hesitate, climbing onto his back. It was her first time being carried, and clumsy as she was, she gripped his neck too tightly, making him cough as well. Ji Ning just tapped her arm, signaling her to relax. This, too, was his first time carrying someone—he figured he must be doing it wrong, and didn’t blame her.

For the first time in a long while, Qin Mo’s rigid face softened, a flush enlivening her delicate features. She whispered, "Thank you."

"No, I should thank you," Ji Ning replied.

Puzzled, Qin Mo was about to ask why, but her cheeks only grew redder. She knocked on the dinosaur hood. "Rogue," she muttered, then used his pajama hood as a mask to warm her face.

Ji Ning jogged along, grinning. The inventor of pajamas was a genius—they spared you the awkwardness of stripping while being seen and let you move freely without formal wear.

Everything was perfect—if only nothing went wrong.

But they hadn’t gone far when Ji Ning stopped and sighed. "Down for a moment."

Qin Mo obediently got off and stepped back.

A middle-aged man with messy hair leaned against a streetlamp, smoking. At this hour, the only ones awake were either saving the world or bent on destroying it—except, of course, for night-shift workers, who might wish to destroy the world but feared losing their scraps of happiness.

But wage slaves never have such thick, wild hair. This alone told Ji Ning the man’s identity: he was the one who’d write a D on Ji Ning’s report card.

"Leave the girl, and you can go," the man said, crushing his cigarette in his palm with a careless glance that made Ji Ning regret not fetching his gun—better to be arrested by the police than have a coroner pull a sheet over him.

Ji Ning glanced at Qin Mo. There was no fear in her eyes; she trusted him not to abandon her. Sometimes, people just believe in things for no reason at all. Her gaze was like someone rescued from a pyramid scheme—no matter how the police tried to talk sense into them all week, they still believed they were destined for overnight riches.

Ji Ning was a coward at heart, but even so, he made his choice.

He drew the pitifully small knife from his belt—the same one he’d used to slice fruit that afternoon—and, with an air of bravado, raised his middle finger at the man. "I’m taking her with me today. I’d like to see who dares stop me."

No matter how scared or useless he might be, he was still a man in his early twenties, and the fire in his heart was far from extinguished.

At the same time, Ji Ning was swept by inescapable rage. Damn it, what kind of situation was this? The girl he’d rescued, and he hadn’t even had a proper conversation with her—now someone thought they could just take her away? What kind of joke was that? Did they think he was dead?

He hated this feeling—just when he thought he’d opened a new chapter in his life, someone came along to slap him down, as if to say, "Who do you think you are? Playing the hero? Do you have what it takes?"

Qin Mo gazed at his not-so-broad back, and it was as though a winter sun had shattered all the despair within her, or a sturdy wall had shielded her from the malice closing in from all sides. A sense of unprecedented safety enveloped her; in her eyes, all the city’s lights converged on this young man, dazzling and mesmerizing.

She had once scoffed at the infatuation of heroines in stories, but she’d forgotten that stories are born from life itself, and only those tried and tested by the masses become legends.

In that instant, a bond was forged. Before, he was just a stranger among strangers; but from the moment that bond was made, he became unique to her.

Looking at Ji Ning’s not-so-broad back, only one thought filled Qin Mo’s mind.

It’s him, she thought. He is the one.